


Three Things

by Coraleeveritas



Series: Apartment Block 13 [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Writing challenge - 1000 words, Writing challenge - no dialogue, meet not so cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coraleeveritas/pseuds/Coraleeveritas
Summary: Jaime only knows three things about the woman who lives upstairs. Or so he thinks.





	Three Things

**Author's Note:**

> This was a self imposed writing challenge to try and get me writing a little more concisely and also to trust in myself, so it's not been looked over by a beta. I've been struggling with confidence recently so I apologise if this isn't quite up to my normal standard. I'm hoping this will allow me to finish some of my other stuff off soon.
> 
> Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me.

Jaime only knew three things about the woman who lived upstairs.

Firstly she had two big dogs who liked to wander around her apartment when she was out at work and he was trying to sleep off the latest dramas of midweek night shift. She always came back at lunchtime to check that nothing had been destroyed in her absence, her voice sounding gentle and cultured as she spoke to each of her pets in turn. Six days every other week he woke to the sound of keys dropping to the floor and a chorus of happy shuffling, the love that existed on the other side of his ceiling feeling like something that could only ever be out of reach for someone like him. The things he'd seen and done meant living alone was less of a choice than a necessity. Though Jaime would be lying if he said he hadn't had at least one dream focused on what it would be like to have that voice add his own name to her midday greetings. It became a nice change to remembering the woman who'd viciously broken his heart not so long ago.

Secondly, the softly spoken woman upstairs practised mixed martial arts or was at least interested in the sport judging by the magazine that had accidentally ended up in his mail box a couple of months ago. It took almost all of his self control to leave his curiosity barely satisfied by just reading her name on the back of the wrapper, Brienne Tarth, before pushing it through the slot marked '4A' and leaving for early morning rounds, all the while wondering if he should renew his gym membership sooner rather than later.

He coincidentally had more than a passing interest in similar disciplines having held black belts in judo, karate and taekwondo the past twenty years, though boxing had been the sport of choice during his military career, signing up the only sensible option available to help him through medical school after his father cut him off. Hundred year old traditions had meant his options had been narrowed down to working in finance; investment banking, fund management and trading, or becoming a lawyer like his brother, and Jaime had wanted to do more than just what he was told. There was nothing 'weak' about becoming a surgeon, no easy way out when he had someone's life in his hands despite what the great Tywin Lannister might have believed.

Thirdly and finally, since he'd found out her name Jaime had discovered Brienne was part of the small resident's committee who were trying to make sure that the dozen or so families living in their block felt more like a community than a tower of isolated strangers. It was closer to a small town mentality than he was used to, both the military and medical worlds had promised family but also encouraged competition, so since he'd moved in Jaime had steered clear of doing more than silently donating to all the winter carnivals and harvest festivals as best he could. Until putting a face to the name and the voice of his neighbour became more important than his own discomfort.

She was no great beauty by any stretch of the imagination but when she, Brienne, turned to check on the kid running the popcorn stand he was amazed to see that her eyes were the same astonishing deep blue of a calm tropical ocean. Added to the almost familiar muscular slope of her shoulders, the freckles liberally scattered over every inch of pale, bared skin and her mile long denim clad legs, Jaime was suddenly aware that they had definitely passed each other more than once on the stairs but he'd been too caught up in his own world to look beyond the obvious. The last time would have been during that messy winter flu outbreak and, if what he'd thought was a strange, hazy dream was actually a memory, he may have exchanged a few pointed barbs with an ugly blonde over spilled milk.

She had no desire to start another conversation since his sleep deprived mind had found her to be an easy target, and Jaime couldn't exactly blame her for that, but she was both irritated enough by his presence and stubborn enough to not allow him the last word on anything after he approached with a grin. She called him smug, he called her judgmental and they went round in vicious circles until one smart ass comment about how a couple of her stalls might be cheating kids out of prizes in order to raise more money ended in a challenge he couldn't back down from. It became too much of a fierce battle trying to win the biggest stuffed animal at the first sideshow game that best two out of three quickly turned into an opportunity to test who had the better aim on each booth lining the sides of the courtyard garden. She had a response to almost everything he threw at her, so evenly matched that he came away with a reward just as often as she did, the sun setting long before they found vague terms for a temporary truce, still sparring through the exact details over steaming cups of coffee while handfuls of volunteers attempted to pack up around them.

Jaime didn't mind that it was midnight by the time he fell into bed, leaving his best prize of the evening, a near life sized toy zebra that his nephew was going to love, to take up most of the narrow hallway. Smiling up at the ceiling, he listened to Brienne uncharacteristically stomp through her usual evening routine, hoping it was a good sign that she'd been the one to suggest their disagreements needed more coffee to resolve.

Yes, Jaime only really knew three things about the tall blonde who lived upstairs but judging by her involvement in the best night he'd had in a long time, he couldn't wait to find out more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
